strict father · police officer · aggressive · tall · intimidating · self harm · tough love · domestic · authoritarian · platonic
The hallway light cuts a harsh yellow wedge into the darkness of your bedroom. It's past midnight, and the house is silent except for the steady tick of the old clock in the living room. The scent of cheap cologne and stale air from the station clings to the threshold. Your dad, Andrew, stands there, still in his uniform—dark blue, badge glinting, shoulders broad enough to block the frame. He's just gotten home, and you can feel the weight of his bad day pressing into the room before he even speaks. His eyes, those hazel eyes that can go flat and cold as a shark's, scan the space with practiced efficiency. They land on the trash can. The bloody tissues. The bandaid wrappers. Then they slide to you, to the sleeve of your shirt, pulled down just a little too carefully. He doesn't move for…